Melez nodded. "I will let you know most definitely." She began to
go over that feeling to inspect it more carefully and figure out
exactly what was going on with it.
In the meantime, they walked into town and headed for the shops
they needed. Neither girl noticed the strange men. But then, they
had taken precautions to go unnoticed. The town itself was quiet.
Much more quiet then usual. Eona wondered if it was a holiday or a
local death like she'd suggested that was the cause of it.
Melez stayed by her comrade's side the whole walk. "That feeling
has gotten a little stronger..." She glanced around the town, her
worry definitely showing through her amber eyes as they darted
about. What is it exactly? Perhaps a coming fight? Then again
could just be the fact that half the town is empty...
Eona looked up at her, studying her face. They had just walked into
the grocery store. "We should go," she said. Taking her companions
hand, she turned and walked back out. And straight into someone's
chest. "Oof!" she gasped, pulling back and apologizing. Looking up,
she recoiled further at the mans smile. He was the one they'd seen
last time. "There you are," he said, his voice slippery like oil.
"I'm glad I caught you. You've made us look high and low for you,
dragon. But now you're going to go back to your cage." His deep
voice made Eona frightened enough, but to hear him say dragon? She
turned to mush there in the doorway. He grabbed her arm roughly and
yanked her into him. Eona squeaked, still trying to comprehend it
all.
Melez followed Eona and nodded in agreement of leaving, but when
her friend's identity was announced, and the man saying that she
was being put back in a cage, it all clicked. "Excuse me, I think
there's been a slight mistake." Melez said in a calm voice, hiding
the rage within her. A slight mistake... You've got your hand on
MY dragon. She reached out and grabbed the man's wrist firmly,
but not as hard as she could, so as not to reveal her strength like
her mother had taught her.
He turned his attention to Melez, his head cocked to the side as if
listening to something. Then he smiled wickedly and hissed, "I'll
let that slide. And you can join your little friend here in her
cage." He nodded, looking behind Melez and someone grabbed her from
behind. "Let him go, sweetheart," a deep voice purred in her ear.
"You don't want to play with him. He's no fun. Come play with me
instead." He wore just as much defensive gear as the first guy. His
arms had circled around her torso, pulling her into his chest. Eona
had recovered most of herself and grew angry. "Let us go! You don't
know us! And your attention is completely unwanted!" she told both
men, defiantly. "Dragons are extinct," she told the first one. "So
unless that's code for something, you are mistaken. So release me!"
The first man laughed, tossing his head back as he did. Then he
tilted his head back down and grinned wolfishly at Eona. "Nice try.
But I would know that red hair and those green eyes anywhere.
Though, you were a lot smaller the last time I saw you. Though, I'm
willing to bet you're a lot more fun now." Eona's jaw dropped and
she growled, the sound human and not bestial. Then she threw her
knee up, trying to hurt him. But her knee rammed into something
hard and metal. He smirked at her.
Melez's hand had slipped off of the first man's wrist, but her eyes
were still just as hard as they were before. It looked like she'd
been in this sort of situation before. "As my friend had just
explained, you don't know us. Perhaps her, but not me... Against
what you're likely thinking, I'm not fun in the least. If you let
us both go now, I think you might be able to leave here on your own
legs. For if you don't..." Her voice was deep and almost had an
echo to it, her amber eyes were fixated on the man holding Eona a
certain fire burning deep within them.
"Come now, girlie! Don't spoil the fun," the second purred. "We
wouldn't want someone as special as you girls to be hurt! And we
certainly wouldn't want to blurt out your own unique parentage, now
would we?" he whispered in her ear, his lips brushing against it.
Eona looked between both men, trying to decide who she was madder
at. "I'd do what my friend here says and walk away now. Both of
your legs seem to be in working order. And you seem to be hearing
us perfectly fine. Maybe it's not physical. Maybe you're both just
not able to comprehend what we're telling you. In that case, I
wouldn't be here messing with girls on the street. I'd be seeing
your doctors about that."
A grin spread across Melez's features, so dark and sinister that it
caused a shiver to pass down even Melez's spine as the man's lips
touched her ear. "I suppose if you're not able to understand my
words, then I suppose that you will only be able to understand
actions..." Her voice had lost the echo, but was still oddly deep.
Melez didn't move but instead started muttering unintelligible
words. These words were old, as old as Death himself. Her skin
began to change color in patches, dark to light and back again as
she continued. She paused in her mutterings to give one final
warning. "Last chance. Leave while you can." Her voice was monotone
and emotionless.
The one holding her shrugged against her, then whispered, "We'll
meet again, sweetheart." It wasn't a threat. It was a promise. He
sounded like it was a fact. Just like the sun would set and rise,
and the sky was blue. He pulled her tight against him, purring
slightly, before vanishing. His voice lingered though, sliding over
her skin like it had substance. "Until we are together again, my
darling angel." Eona watched Melez, not frightened in the least.
She knew she was safe. The man who still had his hand dumbly
clutching Eona's, nearly wet himself. He stared at Melez,
transfixed. His buddies stepped forward, drawn to her. "I'd run,"
Eona told them, matter of factly. They just blinked.
Melez did not react to the man's words, though they had registered,
she'd deal with them later. Her skin began to move and slightly
bulge in some places, golden runes began to appear on her arms,
legs and neck. Her amber eyes clouded into a solid black. Her
facial expression was blank as she continued her mutterings, and as
she did she started to become slightly transparent. She was calling
upon various demons, making pacts with each then letting them take
over parts of her body so that she could win this fight. She had
been so very careful in her words that she would remain in control
of her body and that she would do no harm to the being she was
going to be fighting to protect. Melez's body contorted and grew a
few feet in height and her light red skin grew dark, her eyes now a
solid and dull black, her horns longer and twisted up behind her
head and her mouth now widened with very sharp and long canines.
"YoU sHoUlD hAvE bRoUgHt MoRe MeN... nOw YoU sHaLl TaStE mY
wRaTh!!" Her voice sounded very deep and had a distinct echo,
like it was several people speaking at the same time. In an instant
the nearest being was impaled on her arm which had disfigured into
a spike-like appendage. She threw the big male on her arm into the
another before staring at the male holding Eona making his eyes
turn black before white. He screamed then put his hands to his now
useless eyes before turning to ash, his screams silenced forever.
She turned to the males still surrounding them, her eyes, though
black, burned with the fires of rage and hate. "LeAvE nOw WhIlE
yOu StIlL cAn..." Her voice rumbled and echoed once again.
They squeaked, staring at her with terror. Some managed to regain
control of their legs and ran like the four horsemen of the
apocalypse were on their heels. Others couldn't move, their legs
collapsing beneath them. "M-Melez?" Eona asked, her voice shaking.
In her heart, she knew Melez wouldn't hurt her. But instinct and
primal fear screamed that this being could kill her. Even though
she tried to stay there, to help Melez, this fear forced her to
step back. Until she was pressed against the wall of a building. A
scream built in her throat as she watched.
The giant creature that was once Melez turned around it's grotesque
chest heaving up and down as it breathed, glaring at the men that
had threatened them. The creature turned until it found Eona and
something changed in the eyes. The fire that burned in the black
pits went out. Melez's body began to contort once again bulging and
shrinking as it seemed to almost fold in on itself. She let out a
blood curdling sound, almost a howl but as she regained more
control and more of her body it returned to her own voice and she
was yelling out for a moment before a very loud and resounding
crack could be heard. Then she fell silent. As silent as the bodies
that surrounded her. She fell to the ground shaking her mouth agape
in voiceless agony as her body once again became hers. After a
moment she inhaled sharply as her ribcage went back into it's
proper place with a snap. "E-Eona?" She called out in a hoarse
whisper that was what was left of her voice after all of that. She
pushed herself and rolled to her stomach and began to get up, her
muscles in her arms quivering with strain.
Eona watched in horror, not of the creature but of what Melez must
be going through. She ran, hoping to catch her friend, to catch her
before she got hurt! in seconds, she was at Melez's side, wanting
to pull her into her arms. "MELEZ! OH! Gods! Are you okay? Am not
going to hurt you if I hug you, right? I'm sorry! Whatever
happened, I'm sorry! Please, be okay!" she sobbed, reaching forward
to hug her.
Melez nodded, tears running down the sides of her cheeks. "Th-that
hurt..." She forced a slight smile as she pushed up to her knees.
She looked around to the dead bodies that she had created. "I made
a mess..." She sniffled as she looked down to her one arm that's
covered in the blood of the man she impaled. "I did warn them..."
She said with a dark chuckle before shaking her head and swaying.
That took a lot out of me... That sure did... Might want to
rest now little Mel. Wh-what are you doing in here? Oh me?
You had agreed that I may share your mind for a little while... I
was lonely so I wanted someone to talk to. A captive audience is
the best I find don't you Mel? I've not had a captive audience
and you can stop calling me Mel... My name is Melez... I don't
think I caught your normal name? You can call me Zach, and I'll
call you Red. I like that, Red. Yup. If you don't like Mel, I'll
call you Red. Oh gods... Please, just stop... I need to rest...
Sure, sure... Don't want my buddy getting all messed up on me
now. Go rest, we'll talk more soon! Ta! While all this
conversation was going on in her head she was staring at her bloody
arm.
Eona pulled Melez into her arms, hugging her tightly. "We have to
go. Before people work up the nerve to come outside and see what
happened. Come on!" Eona gasped, still crying hard. She used her
full strength to pick Melez up. Thankful for that strength, she set
off as fast as she could down an alley. She had to move away from
the street then move them into the forest. Best to lose any tails
too! After a few minutes of running through the town, Eona ran out
in a different direction from home. She quietly raced through the
forest, carrying Melez. She knew these woods like the back of her
hand. So she had no problem picking out the direction to go. What
she didn't count on was the stray tree branch. Unable to see in
front of her with Melez in her arms, and running full throttle,
Eona didn't see it and tripped. Melez sailed out of her arms and
Eona fell down hard. Air exploded out of her lungs and she felt her
ankle twist. Pain exploded out from her ankle and she fought hard
to take a breath. "...Melez!" she wheezed, "I'm sorry! Are you
okay?"
Melez held onto her friend as she was picked up, every nerve in her
body sore from that ordeal. She had almost fallen asleep out of
exhaustion when the next thing she knew she was flung from her
friend's arms and landed roughly on the ground rolling to a stop,
her back almost hitting a tree, but stopped short thankfully. She
forced herself to get up, focusing entirely on the pained voice of
her friend as she stood shakily and walked over to the woman on the
ground. "I'm fine, the question is, are you okay?" The amber eyes
scanned over Eona's prone frame and spotted her ankle twisted. "As
I'm in better shape to move than you, I'm taking over. No buts or
argument, am I clear?" Her voice was very firm, but still held that
caring tone as it always does when she interacts with Eona.
Eona gave Melez a wan smile and nodded, sitting up. "I kind of got
carried away...I'm sorry. You're sure? I don't want to be
trouble...but...I think I did hurt myself..." She winced and
whimpered as she moved her ankle wrong. "Ow! Yeah...no more running
headlong into the woods..." her breathing had come back to normal,
if a bit harder because of the pain.
Melez nodded. "No more running headlong through the woods sounds
like a good idea..." With a fluttering sound her deep mahogany
wings sprouted from her back as she picked up Eona the same way
that she had carried her moments ago. A couple flaps and they were
in the air and a few more strong movements of her large wings they
were moving forwards towards the cave on the mountain. "You know,
my mother taught me a healing spell if you'd be willing to let me
try..." You know that spell will make you really exhausted
and perhaps even render you unconscious right? Yeah, I know. I
don't care. She's injured and I can fix it all in a matter of
minutes. But why would you do that if you're gonna feel a bit of
pain for one, and be knocked out for two! Because I'm her
friend. Friends look out for one another. That's what they do. Now
let me alone so I can work. Fine, fine...
Eona looked at her as Melez had her internal conversation. "Spells
like that take a lot of work, don't they? A lot of energy?" Eona
asked, knowing a bit about magic herself. "I don't want you to
exhaust yourself. You just saved us," Eona told her, hugging Melez
but being careful of her wings. "Only if you absolutely feel like
doing it. But not until we get home, okay? That way if you do use a
lot of energy, we'll be home and safe."
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